Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-11-11
JOHN WILKES RooTH.
a Talk with the Man who Captured Him
(Lippincott's Mapazine.J

a Talk with the Man who Captured Him
(Lppincott's Magazine.l
Capt. Edward Doherty, the man who
commanded the expedition which cap-
tured John Wilkes Booth, has lately
received government appointment as
Indian post-trader in Dakota. He il q
tai, straight. broad-shouldered man of
46 years. He has q dark comnlexion
inclined to be ford, a broad, open face,
nigh forehead, and hair as black as a
piece OF camel coal. He talks we'll,
and chats very entertainingly about his
| experiences at the time of the assassi-
/ nation. He told me the story of Booths
capture not long ago.
Said he, "Twenty-one years ago! Il
does not seem as many days. The
scenes Of that time are photographed
on my memory. 1 was sittinr in
Lafayette Park talking with brother
officer. It was my day off, and I was
rejoicing my soul in the bright rays of
the spring sun. The trees had begun
to leaf. The first flowers we're out in
the park, and the grass was of its
greenest. My friend and myself were
talking to couple of ladies, when an
orderly came up and gave me a mes
sage. 1t was to report to Col. Baker
Immediately. When [ reached Col.
Bakers headquarters was directed to
take twenty-five men and proceed on
the track of Booth to fredericksburg.
A very short time after this I had nv
detail at the Sixth street wharf at
washington; there found steamboat,
the John s. 1de, ready to carry us to
Belle PLANE. Here we left the boat,
and Landing our horses, We struck across
to the Rappahannock ct Port Conway.
AT the house by the port we questioned
the people, and finally got them to
admit that the men we were in search
OF had passed onward. They had been
met there by three of Mosby's men,
Brainbridge, Ruggles, and Jet, and
had gone with them on to CARROTS and
Bowling Green. The keeper of the
house told us that he was accustomed
to guide people to Bowling Green, but
that Jett was in love with the daughter
of tavern keeper there, and he offered
to guide them, as he was going that way.
Harold was friend of Jett's and he
told the men that Booth had killed the
President and wanted to get on South.
In short time Booth came up on his
crutch. It seems that he had not been
with Harold at this time, and he
acknowledged to these men of Mosly's
that he was the Presidents assassin.
The party then went on towards Bow
ling Green.
Between Port Conway and Bowling
Green lies the Garrett farm. Its build
ings were not far from the road, con-
sisting of an old frame house with (.
barn and out-buildings. When the
party reached this house Booth stopped
here, and was allowed to remain over
night, while Harold continued on to
Bowling Green with the rest of the
party. We left Port Conway and rode
on towards Bowling Green. As we did
so we passed the Garrett house, and I
learned after that Booth saw us as we
passed. He was looking out of the
window as we came up, and he snatched
his carbine and yelled to Garrett to
bring him his pistols. We passed on,
however, without knowing this, and
reached Bowling Green. Ifound there
that Harold had left, but that Jet was
sleeping in the tavern. I went up to
Jett's room, and told him I knew all
about his doings during the past few
days; that was going to catechise him,
and if found him lying we would take
him out and hang him. He was badly
frightened; confessed that he had been
with Booth, and consented to guide us
back to CARROTS farm, where Booth
had stopped. We then started back to
CARROTS, and reached there in the early
morning. We surrounded the place,
and went up to the door and knocked
loudly upon it. In moment the old
man Garrett appeared, in very light
attire, carrying a candle. He told me
that the man I described had been
there, but that after the cavalry had
passed he had taken his crutch and
hobbled off to the woods. In the
meantime men had been hunting about
the place, and one of them called out
to me that he had man in his corn
crib. I went to the crib and found it
was CARROTS son, who said he was
there to watch the men in the barn,
fearing that they might steal the horses.
I thus found that Booth and Harold
were in the barn. Harold had returned
from Bowling Green to CARROTS. We
surrounded the barn, and Boston Cor
bett was stationed at place where
there was hole in the boards about
two feet square. AS we surrounded
the barn we heard men moving about
in the hay.
II told Booth that I knew it was he,
and we carried on o short conversation
before he was shot. He first asked:
"'Who are you? You may be
my friends
"On my answering, he replied: 4
am cripple, and alone. Give me a
chance for my life. Draw your men up
at fifty PAGES, and will come oat and
fight you
II replied that I did not come there
to fight. Isaid, L came here to capture
you. have fifty men, and propose to
do it.
about this time he said, There is
man here who wants to surrender awful
bad, and with that the boy Harold
came out. As Harold left, Booth made
movement as though to raise his car
bine, and Boston Corbett fired. The
ball struck Booth just behind his ear,
in about the same place where he struck